Jerry Brown just vetoed the state budget

CA Gov. Jerry Brown did not hesitate. He just vetoed the Legislature’s gimmick-filled budget.

Brown had been in a tight corner. He couldn’t get four GOP votes to put a tax extension measure on the ballot. Yesterday, just in time to save their paychecks, Sacto Dems passed a measure about which, colleagues Wyatt Buchanan and Marisa Lagos wrote:

The plan closes what was a remaining $9.6 billion deficit. California began the year with a $25.4 billion deficit, but lawmakers, helped by a rise in revenues, whittled that down earlier this year.

Education takes a hit Public schools and higher education took the largest hit, with $3 billion in owed payments to K-12 and community colleges delayed until next year, along with canceling another $500 million payment.

Republicans had thought they had dodged a bullet — they stuck by their no new taxes pledge and could blame the new budget on the Democrats. And Democrats had the same blame-game advantage: They could blame all the cuts on Republicans.

JBro vetoed the budget “reluctantly” but with clear purpose. He wants a better budget. He’s not going to kick the can. He does not want to sign a budget that could put the state further in the hole next year. I credit Brown for showing that he is willing to do what is difficult in order to achieve something better. Well done. “Bellum omnium contra omnes” delayed.

Now all these guys have to work together.

Back to work, lawmakers. Back to work, legislative staffers and everyone else. Except me. I’m going on vacation. See you later.

Steve Glazer

Enjoy Sutter Brown

UPDATE: Before I go, I want to shout kudos to Sen. Dianne Feinstein for pulling off a 73-27 vote to kill ethanol subsidies. As I wrote in my Thursday column, I thought she was wrong to vote against her own measure, Coburn-Feinstein. But Feinstein-Coburn prevailed, and by a healthy margin.

Oddly, Americans for Tax Reform just found a pretext for applauding passage of the measure. That’s a change.